Pay it forward, holiday style

Bellevue Club members donated nearly 200 toys, $1,100 in gift cards and food for local charities in the annual BC Holiday Gift Drive. Hopelink, Toys for Tots and New Beginnings are this year’s chosen charities.

Olympic legend visits Bellevue Club

Pictured is Aaron Peirsol with Bellevue Club Swim Team coach Klaas Schenk.

Olympic legend Aaron Peirsol made the trip to Bellevue this past weekend to visit with Bellevue Club swimmers.
In the packed Olympic Ballroom at the Bellevue Club, Aaron traced his journey from skinny 12-year-old to the best backstroke swimmer in history.
“It wasn’t that long ago that I was sitting exactly where you were,” he said.
Peirsol currently holds the world record for 100- and 200-meter backstroke and has captured a total of seven Olympic medals. He didn’t always want to swim backstroke, though.
“One day at practice, my coach told me I was backstroker. I quickly told him he was crazy. I’m a freestyler,” Peirsol said. “He taught it to me, and it felt pretty natural right off the bat.”
Natural or not, Peirsol emphasized what got him to the Olympics. Swimming for the Irvine Novaquatics in Irvine, Calif., Peirsol says his team worked harder than any team in the country.
“I remember one practice, I had to swim 1,000 meters of butterfly. If I broke stroke, I had to start over—and I was only 12 years old,” he says. “From a young age, I realized I couldn’t control what the other swimmers do in the pool. It was an epiphany to me.”
Peirsol encouraged the young Bellevue Club swimmers not to limit themselves. “It doesn’t matter who you’re racing. Never race for second place,” he said.
After his talk, Aaron answered a wide range of questions and signed autographs. He also stuck around to train with the Bellevue Club Masters team the next morning.
“Having Aaron speak at the Bellevue Club was a real treat for all the swimmers. He’s such a class act,” said Sally Reed, Bellevue Club Athletic Director.

Gold-medal Olympian Club-bound

Mark your calendars for this free event!

Gold-medal Olympic swimmer Aaron Peirsol is visiting the Bellevue Club on Friday, Dec. 10 from 7-9:30 p.m. Hear him speak in the Olympic Ballroom—then stay for photos and an autograph.

Aaron is the world record holder for the 100- and 200-meter backstroke. He has seven Olympic medals after participating in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 games. He's widely considered one of the greatest backstroke swimmers in history.

No RSVP is needed for this event.

Santa does water aerobics

Preparing for a grueling delivery schedule on Christmas eve, Santa Claus from The Bravern shows up to morning water aerobics at the Bellevue Club this past week. In case you were wondering, the beard's totally real.